F.E. Warren Air Force Base

F.E. Warren Air Force Base is a key installation of the United States Air Force located adjacent to Cheyenne, Wyoming. It is the oldest continuously active military installation within the Air Force Global Strike Command and serves as a cornerstone of the nation's intercontinental ballistic missile force. The base is named for Francis Emroy Warren, a Medal of Honor recipient and former U.S. Senator from Wyoming.

History

The site was originally established in 1867 as Fort D.A. Russell, a United States Army post named for Brigadier General David A. Russell, a Union Army officer killed in the Civil War. It played a crucial role in the Indian Wars, serving as a supply depot and cavalry post during conflicts with the Cheyenne and Sioux nations. The fort was significantly expanded during the Spanish–American War and later became a major training center for artillery and cavalry units. In 1930, it was renamed Fort Francis E. Warren in honor of the influential senator. Following the creation of the United States Air Force as a separate service, the installation was transferred from the Army and redesignated F.E. Warren Air Force Base in 1947. Its mission shifted dramatically during the Cold War when it was selected to host Atlas and later Minuteman III ICBMs, becoming a central node in the U.S. nuclear deterrent triad.

Role and operations

F.E. Warren Air Force Base is the home of the 90th Missile Wing, the "Mighty Ninety," which operates and maintains one-third of the nation's LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile force. The wing falls under the Twentieth Air Force and the overarching Air Force Global Strike Command, charged with providing a secure, responsive land-based nuclear deterrent. Operations involve continuous alert status for missile combat crews stationed in underground launch control centers dispersed across a vast missile complex spanning Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado. The base also supports significant Department of Defense missions including the 20th Airlift Squadron, which operates the C-21A aircraft for CONUS transport, and hosts tenant units like the 153rd Command and Control Squadron of the Wyoming Air National Guard.

Based units

Notable flying and non-flying units based at F.E. Warren Air Force Base include: * 90th Missile Wing (Air Force Global Strike Command) ** 90th Operations Group *** 319th Missile Squadron *** 320th Missile Squadron *** 321st Missile Squadron *** 90th Operations Support Squadron ** 90th Maintenance Group ** 90th Security Forces Group * 20th Airlift Squadron – operates the C-21A * 153rd Command and Control Squadron (Wyoming Air National Guard) * Detachment 1, 372nd Training Squadron (Air Education and Training Command)

Geography and facilities

The base encompasses over 5,800 acres on the high plains near Cheyenne. Its landscape is dominated by the extensive Minuteman III Launch Facility (silo) field, with hundreds of sites connected by thousands of miles of hardened cable to multiple Launch Control Centers. The main installation features historic districts preserving original Fort D.A. Russell structures from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many built from distinctive local sandstone. Key facilities include the Warren ICBM and Heritage Museum, the 90th Missile Wing headquarters, extensive weapons storage areas, a large flight line, family housing communities, and the F.E. Warren Medical Center. The base's location on the Union Pacific Railroad and near Interstate 80 has been strategically important since its founding.

In popular culture

F.E. Warren Air Force Base and its strategic missile mission have been depicted in several films and television series focusing on Cold War tensions and nuclear warfare. It served as a filming location and inspiration for scenes in the 1983 television film The Day After, which depicted a fictional nuclear attack on Lawrence, Kansas. The base's role is also referenced in the 1990 film By Dawn's Early Light and in episodes of the documentary series Modern Marvels. The high-stakes environment of the Minuteman III launch crews has been dramatized in novels and non-fiction books about the U.S. strategic forces.

Category:United States Air Force bases Category:Buildings and structures in Laramie County, Wyoming Category:Nuclear weapons infrastructure of the United States